



PRIvSENTHI) UY 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2010 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/versionsofgettysOOIinc 



Versions of 

The Gettysburg Address 



Liy>co/-)T^ Abfif^rt-^ 



CITED BY 



Major WILLIAM H. LAMBERT L. 



IN HIS PAPER ENTITLED 



" T/ie Gettysburg Address- 
When Written^ How Received^ Its True Form,'' 



Read before the Commandery of the State of Pennsylvania, 

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, 

February 14, 1906, 

and before The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 

February 8, 1909. 






Copied from Facsimile of the Original Manuscript published in an article 

by John G. Nicolay, ^^LincoMs Gettysburg Address^'' in 

'• The Century Magazine^'' February, i8g^. 



Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon 
this continent, a new nation, conceived in Hberty, and dedicated to 
the proposition that "all men are created equal" 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, teeing whether that 
nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. 
We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to 
dedicate a portion of it, as a final reding place for those who died 
here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. 
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate— we cannot consecrate— we 
cannot hallow, this ground — The brave men, living and dead, who 
^ruggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or 
detradt. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say 
here; while it can never forget what they did here. 

It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great 
task remaining before us— that, froiyi these honored dead we take in- 
creased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the laft full 
measure of devotion— that we here highly resolve these dead shall not 
have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, 
and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall 
not perish from the earth. 



J 



^9 



From a Photograph of the Manuscript in President Lincoln's Autograph 
formerly owned by the late John Hay. 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon 
this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to 
the proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, teeing whether that 
nation, or any nation, so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. 
We are met here on a great battle-field of that war. We have come 
to dedicate a portion of it as a final renting place for those who here 
gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and 
proper that we should do this. 

But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate— we cannot consecrate— 
we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who 
ftruggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add 
or detradl. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we 
say here, but can never forget what they did here, h is for us, the 
living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they 
have, ihus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here 
dedicated to the great task remaining before us— that from these hon- 
ored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they 
here gave the last full measure of devotion— that we here highly resolve 
that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall 
have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the peo- 
ple, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 



Associated Press Report as printed in the "■North American" 
Philadelphia, November 20, i86j. 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon 
this continent a new nation, conceived in Hberty and dedicated to the 
proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged 
in a great civil war, te^tng whether that nation, or any nation so con- 
ceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great 
battle field of that war ; we are met to dedicate a portion of it as the 
final reding place of those who here gave their lives that that nation 
might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this, 
but, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we 
cannot hallow this ground. 

The brave men, living and dead, who ^ruggled here have con- 
secrated it far above our poor power to add or to detra(5l. The world 
will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never 
forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedi- 
cated here to the unfinished work that they have thus far so nobly 
carried on. It is rather for us here to be dedicated to the great task 
remaining before us ; that from these honored dead we take increased 
devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure 
of devotion ; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have 
died in vain. That the nation shall, under God, have a new birth 
of freedom, and that the government of the people, by the people and 
for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

— -Notes of applause omitted. 



From Report of the Cotnmissioners representing Massachusetts at the 
Dedication of the National Cemetery. 

Dedicatory Speech by President Lincoln. 

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon 
this continent a new nation, conceived in Uberty and dedicated to the 
proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, teeing whether that 
nation — or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated — can long 
endure. 

We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We are met 
to dedicate a portion of it as the final resting -place of those who have 
given their lives that that nation might live. 

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot conse- 
crate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and 
dead, who ^ruggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power 
to add or to detract. 

The world will very little note nor long remember what we say 
here ; but it can never forget what they did here. 

It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated, here, to the un- 
finished work that they have thus far so nobly carried on. It is rather 
for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; 
that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause 
for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion ; that we 
here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ; that 
the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom, and that 
government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not 
perish from the earth. 



Report in ^^Philadelphia Inquirer^^ November 20, 1863. 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent 
a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men 
are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing the question 
whether this nation or any nation so conceived, so dedicated, can long endure. 
We are met on the great battle-field of that war. We are met to dedicate it, on 
a portion of the field set apart as the final resting place of those who gave their 
lives for the nations's life ; but the nation must live, and it is altogether fitting and 
proper that we should do this. 

In a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow 
this ground in reality. The number of men, living and dead, who struggled here 
have consecrated it far above our poor attempts to add to its consecration. The 
world will little know and nothing remember of what we see here, but we cannot 
forget what these brave men did here. 

We owe this offering to our dead. We imbibe increased devotion to that 
cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion ; we here might 
resolve that they shall not have died in vain ; that the nation shall, under God, 
have a new birth of freedom, and that the Govenment of the people, for the 
people, and for all people, shall not perish from earth. 

Same report in "The Compiler" (Gettysburg), November 23, 1863. 



Report in '■'■Cincinnati Daily Gazette^'' November 21, 1863. 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers established upon this Continent a 
Government subscribed in liberty and dedicated to the fundamental principle that 
all mankind are created free and equal by a good God. And now we are engaged 
in a great contest deciding the question whether this nation or any nation so con- 
served, so dedicated, can long remain. We are met on a great battle-field of the 
war. We are met here to dedicate a portion of that field as the final resting place 
of those who have given their lives that it might live. It is altogether fitting and 
proper that we should do this. 

But in a large sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot 
hallow this ground. The brave men, the living and the dead, who struggled here, 
have consecrated it far above our power to add to or detract from the work. Let 
us long remember what we say here, but not forget what they did here. 

It is for us rather, the living, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work 
that they have thus far so nobly carried forward. It is for us here to be dedicated 
to the great task remaining before us, for us to renew our devotion to that cause for 
which they gave the full measure of their devotion. Here let us resolve that 
what they have done shall not have been done in vain ; that the nation shall, 
under God, have a new birth offered ; that the Government of the people, founded 
by the people, shall not perish. 

Apparent typographical errors are as in original reports. 



From Facsimile of the Final Revision published in ^'■Autograph Leaves 
of Our Country's Authors,^'' 1864. 

Address delivered at the dedication of the Cemetery 
AT Gettysburg. 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this 
continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the 
proposition that all men are created equal. 

Nov^ we are engaged in a great civil war, teeing whether that 
nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. 
We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to 
dedicate a portion of that field, as a final reding place for those who 
here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting 
and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not conse- 
crate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and 
dead, who ^ruggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor 
power to add or detracft. The world will little note, nor long remem- 
ber what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It 
is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work 
which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is 
rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before 
us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that 
cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we 
here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that 
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that 
government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not 
perish from the earth. 

Abraham Lincoln. 

November 19, 1863. 



From Facsimile of the Final Revision published in ^^ Autograph Leaves 
of Our Country's Authors J^ 1864. 

Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery 
AT Gettysburg 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this 
continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the 
proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, teeing whether that 
nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. 
We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to 
dedicate a portion of that field, as a final reding place for those who 
here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting 
and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate— 
we cannot hallow— this ground. The brave men, living and dead, 
who ^ruggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to 
add or detradl. The world will little note, nor long remember what 
we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us 
the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which 
they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather 
for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — 
that from these honored dead we take increased devotion, to that cause 
for which they gave their last full measure of devotion— that we here 
highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain — that this 
nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that gov- 
ernment of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish 

from the earth. 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 

November 19. 1863. 



